This invention relates to an air handling system and, in particular, to a panel seal for use in an air handling system.
Some air handling units in current use are equipped with an open structural framework and the openings in the framework are closed by panels that seal against the structural elements forming the opening. Adhesive backed gaskets are placed about the inside perimeter of the panel which, when brought into pressure contact with the structural elements, form a seal to prevent air from passing out of the unit around the panel. The gaskets are difficult to install involving a good deal of cutting and fitting which, in turn, generates a good deal of scrap material. In addition, it is oftentimes extremely difficult to achieve the uniform pressure needed to produce a seal and, as a result, leaks in the unit occur. Over time, the panels may be repeatably removed and replaced weakening or damaging the adhesive material again producing leaks in the unit and eventual replacement of the gaskets.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to improve air handling units.
It is a further object of the present invention to improve panel seals utilized in air handling units.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a panel seal for an air handling unit that can be quickly installed in the unit.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a panel seal for an air handling unit that allows the panel to be repeatedly removed and reinstalled without jeopardizing the seal""s integrity.
These and other objects of the present invention are obtained by a seal assembly suitable for use in an air handling unit having co-joined modular sections. Each section contains a framework having rectangular shaped openings. The openings are closed by means of panels that are locked into the openings by means of a series of latching mechanisms. The structural elements forming each rectangular shaped opening are each equipped with a guide rail for slidably receiving a seal assembly thereon. Each assembly, in turn, includes a pair of resilient bulb seals that are coextruded along opposed side edges of a stiff or rigid support plate that is arranged to engage a guide rail in sliding contact. The structural elements forming the opening are brought together by corner pieces. The corner pieces have slots formed therein for receiving the ends of the rigid support plates that surround the opening. The bulb seals in assembly pass outside the slots and are brought into contact with each other at the corners so that the seals encircle the opening perimeter so that when a panel is latched into the opening, the panel will compress the seals and provide a leak tight joint between the structural elements.
Typically, the openings in the framework are perpendicularly aligned with each other. The guide rails are mounted on structural elements that are commonly shared by two adjacent openings so that the bulb seal running along one edge of the support plate serves to seal one of the adjacent openings while the other bulb seal serves to seal the other adjacent opening.